How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in Nashville, TN in 2026?
Typical pay for Physician Assistants in Nashville, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Tennessee.
BLS OES May 2025 · Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin metro area
A typical Physician Assistant in Nashville, Tennessee earns $62.04 per hour, or $129,050 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $10,754 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $104,990, and the top 10% of earners make over $150,780.
That pay is 9% above the Tennessee figure of $118,240 and 5% below the national figure of $135,880. Nashville ranks 1st of 9 metro areas in Tennessee for Physician Assistant pay. About 750 Physician Assistants work in the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin area. Nashville is part of the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Franklin, Murfreesboro, Davidson share these figures.
Physician Assistant pay in Nashville at a glance
- Typical pay is $62.04 an hour, or $129,050 a year.
- That is 9% above the Tennessee figure, ranking 1st of 9 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $104,990; the top 10% make over $150,780.
- Typical pay rose +62% from 2015 to 2025, against +36% for Tennessee as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Physician Assistant make in Nashville?
Pay in Nashville runs from entry-level positions at around $50.48 an hour to more than $72.49 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Tennessee and national figures.
Physician Assistant pay by career stage in Nashville
| Career stage | Nashville | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $104,990$50.48 an hour | $93,380$44.89 an hour | $99,380$47.78 an hour |
| First years | $111,120$53.42 an hour | $102,690$49.37 an hour | $120,670$58.02 an hour |
| Typical Physician Assistant | $129,050$62.04 an hour | $118,240$56.85 an hour | $135,880$65.33 an hour |
| Experienced | $133,800$64.33 an hour | $132,500$63.70 an hour | $163,980$78.84 an hour |
| Top 10% | $150,780$72.49 an hour | $141,670$68.11 an hour | $190,280$91.48 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin area as BLS defines it
Physician Assistant pay growth in Nashville
Typical (median) annual wage for Physician Assistants in the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Physician Assistant pay in Nashville was $79,820 a year. By 2025 it had reached $129,050, a change of +62%, compared with +36% for Tennessee over the same years.
How Nashville compares with other Tennessee cities
Nashville pays Physician Assistants the most of any metro area in Tennessee. The lowest-paying area in the state is Johnson City at $100,060.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Nashville | Physician Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville | $129,050 | $62.04 | this city | 750 |
| 2 | Memphis | $121,900 | $58.61 | -6% | 290 |
| 3 | Clarksville | $121,710 | $58.51 | -6% | 80 |
| 4 | Chattanooga | $121,600 | $58.46 | -6% | 180 |
| 5 | Bristol metro incl. Kingsport | $117,490 | $56.49 | -9% | 130 |
| 6 | Knoxville | $107,980 | $51.91 | -16% | 240 |
| 7 | Jackson | $104,600 | $50.29 | -19% | 60 |
| 8 | Morristown | $103,350 | $49.69 | -20% | 30 |
| 9 | Johnson City | $100,060 | $48.11 | -22% | 130 |
Every metro area in Tennessee with Physician Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Tennessee typical pay $118,240
Is Nashville a good place to work as a Physician Assistant?
Physician Assistants in Nashville earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $129,050 a year, 5% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin area, about 0.7 are Physician Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.0. That makes Physician Assistants a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Physician Assistant make in Nashville, TN?
- A typical Physician Assistant in Nashville earns $129,050 a year, or $62.04 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $104,990 and the top 10% earn over $150,780.
- How much does a Physician Assistant make an hour in Nashville?
- Typical hourly pay for Physician Assistants in Nashville is $62.04. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $50.48, and the top 10% earn over $72.49 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Physician Assistant in Nashville?
- Entry-level Physician Assistant positions in Nashville typically offer around $50.48 an hour, or $104,990 a year.
- Is Physician Assistant pay in Nashville higher than in the rest of Tennessee?
- Nashville pay is 9% above the Tennessee figure of $118,240 a year, ranking 1st of 9 metro areas in the state.